To Love You
by xx shadowdreamer
Summary: She became a hater to a fan in just a matter of thirty minutes. TxG Three-shot
1. Chapter 1

**Title: To Love You  
Author: xx shadowdreamer.  
A/N:**

**KABAM! I am on a roll this week. hahaa. Well this is gonna be a three-shot i believe. This was buried in a folder with 17 (now 16) unfinished first drafts of stories. Hope you liek this. please review, and I just might update sooner. hehe. **

* * *

"You can't honestly tell me you hate Troy Bolton."

Gabriella sighed and shrugged. She _could_ honestly tell Taylor that she completely, utterly hated Troy Bolton to no end, and bringing her to one of his concerts would not convince her otherwise. Taylor looked at her twenty year-old friend, shocked at the fact she was best-friends with the only girl within the state who hadn't fell head-over-heels with the singing heartthrob who was coming back to their town only two days from that day. To the rest of America, Troy Bolton was almost as famous as God. It was like he could walk on water or fly and every time someone looked at him, their jaw would drop and claim 'his aura was so strong'. He was also the most eligible bachelor and every girl wanted him, and every boy wanted to be him. And in all honesty, Gabriella didn't see what all the hype was about.

Gabriella sat on her living room couch, wearing only her blue plaid pajama pants and a navy blue tank top, watching re-runs of _Friends. _Taylor McKessie, her roommate, spent the past thirty minutes, trying to decipher the reason why Gabriella Montez could not stand Troy Bolton. She saw Taylor shift in her seat, lifting her legs up on the couch and turned to face her.

"Tay, actually, I can say that I hate him." Gabriella answered back, not quite understanding the reason why it was so unbelievable that she wasn't fond of the nineteen year old wonder. He wasn't anything special. Sure, Gabriella would admit that he was in fact, better than the Jonas Brothers or whatever and that he had the most gorgeous blue eyes, but that did not even excuse the fact that he was a selfish arrogant person who probably didn't do much besides look at himself in the mirror and give himself compliments. Gabriella took the remote, and began flipping through channels, acting as casual as she could about the situation, knowing she was aggravating her best friend.

Taylor let out a loud, frustrated groan, wrapping her arms across her chest. "Okay fine, you don't like him, but you _have _to come with me to his concert in two days."

Gabriella looked at her best-friend with wide eyes. "I believe we just discussed the fact that I hated him. How can you possibly think I could stand being at one of his concerts while he stands on that stage, giving himself pats on the back because he knows the entire female population of Los Angeles will be there?"

Taylor let out another groan, and began shaking Gabriella's shoulder. "Please! I already know how to get two tickets, and even backstage passes to see Troy Bolton himself. You've got to say yes. These tickets don't come with a refund!"

Gabriella sighed, and shook her head wearily. She knew she wouldn't be able to stand there listening to the voice of the one and only Troy Bolton, but did she really have a choice? Her best-friend was pleading her and she had no plans that day anyway, what else could she do by herself? She would be the only one at home, since everyone else she knew was part of the unofficial 'Troy Bolton Fan Club' and part of that unofficial contract was to go to every single one of his concerts. After all, you couldn't be a fan if you didn't go to EVERY SINGLE ONE of his concerts (please note the sarcasm). Gabriella nodded her head slowly and looked up to watch her best-friend's reaction. Gabriella saw Taylor's eyes pop out, and before she knew it, her best-friend wrapped her up in a big long hug, squealing in her ear.

"YAY!" she yelled, finally releasing Gabriella. Gabriella laughed at her reaction, but Taylor was still smiling from ear-to-ear. "Okay, I'll pick you up at four, and then we'll be there at four-thirty to five-ish, and then we can go meet him…"

Gabriella sat there, listening to Taylor's plan while staring blankly at the channel she settled on. It was _E! News_, and Troy Bolton's face was plastered on the TV screen. It was live coverage of the premiere of a new movie that he attended. She watched him walk across the red carpet, his arm wrapped around a blond actress, still smiling widely as the cameras flashed. A reporter stopped him and asked if he could ask a few questions, and then they zoomed up on his face. Although Gabriella Montez could not stand him, she had to admit he wasn't the worst looking person on the planet, hell, he was gorgeous.

"So Troy Bolton, how are your album sales so far?" the female reporter asked. Troy chuckled softly and gazed at the camera with his piercing blue eyes. Gabriella couldn't help but slightly feel flushed as she saw him flash his famous grin at the reporter. Why did she hate him again?

"Well, if selling eighty-thousand albums during the opening sales isn't well, then I don't know what is." Troy Bolton replied, with what Gabriella thought was the cockiest smile ever.

That's why.

* * *

Troy Bolton stood on the wide stage, rehearsing for his concert two days from then. Glancing at the new silver watch around his wrist, he had realized that it was barely seven-thirty at night and his body was already wiped out. Traveling to ten cities and staying in each city for about a week did that much to you, but he was glad to be back in California, his home. His manager told him that all he had to do was perform one last concert and go to a few talk shows to promote his new single and album, and he could take a break from it all for a few weeks. Troy knew that it didn't mean he could take a break from the paparazzi that stalked him day by day, but it was as close as he could get to a break.

"Okay guys, I'm pretty sure we're done. We'll rehearse again tomorrow." Troy's manager, Jared, announced. Troy was relieved to hear he could go back home, and it didn't take long for him to pack up his stuff up.

"Hey Troy!" his manager called as Troy was just about to exit the building. Troy turned around and watched his manager run to him hurriedly, as if he needed to tell Troy the most important thing in the world. Jared, stopped in front of Troy, bent over, and placed his hands on knees, his chest heaving up and down; he was out of breath. Troy stood there for exactly three minutes and twenty seconds (he checked on his Rolex watch), waiting for his manager to tell him the 'news' that he stopped him for.

"J, I really want to get going, can you please hurry?"

Jared stood up straight, and although his breath was still short he managed to speak. "Um, well, instead of coming at 3 PM, we need you to come at _2:45._"

Troy stared at his manager and nodded, his jaw clenched together. He stopped him just for that? He couldn't just call? But Troy refrained from saying much, wanting to get home as quickly as he could. He jogged towards his car and drove off. Within thirty minutes, Troy parked his car inside the large driveway that led to his house on Beverly Hills.

Fumbling with his keys slightly, Troy opened it hurriedly, not being able to wait till he reached his room to lie down on his large bed. He hadn't been there in almost two months and how good it felt to be home again. Now he knew how Dorothy felt when she was whisked off to Munchkin Land. He dropped his luggage at the side of the door, deciding to unpack the next morning. He placed his leather shoes neatly next to his luggage and took of his cardigan and placed it on the coat hanger. Troy raced up the large winding stairs and opened his room, immediately jumping into the some comforters of his bed, not bothering to change into his usual sleeping clothes.

Troy closed his eyes and savored the feeling of rest. He had flown in from Texas that afternoon after an hour delay and arrived back in California at almost 3:30, but of course fate was against him and he was in heavy traffic, and his driver only managed to travel at the most, 25 miles per hour. Needless to say, Troy had gotten back quite late, and his manager decided he go straight to rehearsal for the last show he had in two days.

"Troy boy!" he heard someone yell from outside, and quickly shot up, realizing the only person he knew would barge in like that. He let out a long, frustrated groan as he heard those footsteps come closer to his room.

"Troy! Haven't seen you since I watched _E! News _a few hours ago." Troy's bushy haired friend called as he walked inside his best-friends room.

"Ugh, I can't believe I gave you my keys." Troy sighed, partly talking to himself. He covered his face with one of his pillows and began trying to sleep. Chad chuckled and sat on the couch that was on the other side of his room and turned on his TV right across, immediately turning to a basketball game. Chad leaned over and opened Troy's mini fridge and took out a Coca-Cola, lifting his legs on top of the coffee table in front of the couch and made himself comfortable. Troy tried to ignore Chad's cheering plus the noise that the crowd from the TV emitted, and tried so hard to go to sleep. He even found himself counting sheep.

Not being able to stand the noise, Troy grunted and sat up, watching the game with his best-friend silently.

"So, want to know what I've been up to lately?" Chad asked after a few minutes of silence. Troy looked at his friend and shook his head.

"Actually Chad, I don't." Troy answered, slightly irritated at his random question. Usually, he wouldn't be angry at one of Chad's comments, but the lack of sleep forced him to.

"Cool." Chad said shifting in his seat. "So, I met this girl the other day—"

"I said I didn't--"

"—And um, I told her I wanted to take her to a concert, so I'm kind of in need of two tickets and backstage passes to your concert in a couple days."

Troy looked at his friend oddly. "You know you don't need tickets for yourself, Chad. The guard already knows who you are."

"Um, well, she told me she was supposed to hang out with her friend that day, so I said I'd introduce her friend to one of my friends…"

"…Do I want to know which friend you were planning to introduce her to?"

"Um, well you're going to find out."

Troy let out a frustrated groan, throwing the pillow in his lap at Chad. "UGH, CHAD. I don't want to meet some crazed fan then. I'll pissed off the whole time, and honestly, I don't want to be on Perez Hilton's site because I yelled at a fan for wanting used tissues to sell on EBay."

Chad took a large sip from his coca-cola. "Don't worry about it. Taylor said her friend wasn't like that." Chad smiled. "In fact, her friend hates your guts."

"Oh, that's so much better." Troy said, rolling his eyes at his best friend.

"Please Troy? I really like this girl, and it would make you the BEST friend in the world if you took her friend under your wing for a few minutes." Chad pleaded, running out of any more excuses. "Just at least just for three minutes or something. Then you can ask Larry to show her around backstage if she gets too annoying."

Troy stared at his friend, taking a moment to decide if he should agree to it or not. Well, he could keep calm for three minutes that was for sure. And he could just let Larry show her around backstage if she did get annoying, just as Chad suggested. But then again, this person hated him. Maybe it would do his career some good if he got her to convert and join his fan club. But then, he'd just have another screaming girl fan, a hater was good for a change. Maybe meeting this girl would be a good experience for him. He looked at his friend once more, and then nodded dejectedly.

Chad jumped up and clapped his hands together, pointing at his friend has he slowly exited the room proclaiming, "You are the bestest friend in the world, I swear. I will make this up to you, man."

And then the door closed behind his friend.

Finally, some sleep.

-------

They stopped in front of the stadium.

Chad had picked up Gabriella and Taylor from their respective apartments in a van that was driven by one of Troy's drivers (of course with the permission of Troy himself). Taylor hadn't told Gabriella that they were going to the concert because she was going on a date with someone, so it came as a bit of a surprise to Gabriella when Taylor showed up at her door with an unknown bushy haired friend, and prompted Gabriella to ask if they were being kidnapped against their will… not that Chad looked like a kidnapper. She just didn't know him, and kidnappers, as Gabriella read, came in all different packages. Luckily, Chad had thought it was a joke, and Gabriella didn't have to explain that Taylor didn't mention him when she explained they were going to Troy Bolton's concert.

Now, speaking of Troy Bolton's concert, once they had arrived at the stadium, a rush of girls came to greet Chad, which had surprised Gabriella because she had no idea he was famous, but she later found out the he was actually Troy Bolton's best-friend since pre-school and it clicked to Gabriella how Taylor managed to get backstage passes and tickets. They were from Troy Bolton himself. It then led Gabriella to think that Troy Bolton must've been happy to give them to Chad (to give to Taylor) because he'd love to bask in the glory of two crazed fans, to inflate his ego of course. But she didn't say anything out loud, just in case Chad would be offended and it would ruin Taylor's chance to be with Chad because as Gabriella saw, it seemed like Taylor was more infatuated with Chad than seeing Troy.

Chad led them inside and greeted Larry the bodyguard and proceeded to go towards Troy's dressing room.

"This is where Troy basically hangs before show." Chad explained, knocking on the white painted door that had a golden plaque that said Troy's name. Gabriella heard a muffled 'One sec!' and then a 'shit' as she heard him run into a table, in which she assumed fell over because of the noise. She heard him fumble some more (she assumed he probably put the table back up) and then he opened the door. She fully expected him to be in some kind of bathrobe and his room would probably have a large vanity on the side, and he would have make-up people sitting on the side, waiting for him to come back so they could touch his face up a bit more (no, she didn't think he was gay), and then flash a toothy smile at them when he let them in, but she was completely wrong.

Instead, he opened the door, only wearing a pair of jeans and lacking a shirt. His face completely clear of make up and his hair damp, as if he just took a shower. Gabriella saw his amazingly toned abs and arms, and couldn't help but gawk slightly as he stood there, completely shocked that the three of them stood there.

"Oh fuck," he mumbled slightly. "I totally forgot you were bringing people."

And Chad smiled at him slightly and Troy headed back inside his room, leaving the door open for them to come in. Gabriella stepped inside behind Taylor and saw him take out a white v-neck t-shirt from a small rack in the back of the room, placing it on his body smoothly, and Gabriella couldn't help but watch how his muscles rolled as he inserted his hands into the holes of the shirt. Gabriella tore her eyes away, and then noticed the rest of the room. He didn't have a large vanity like she thought, but merely a full sized mirror and only a small couch, a TV, and a mini fridge. It was simple and small, and quite clean and cozy for a pop star such as him.

"Um, hey," Troy greeted as turned back to the three in his dressing room. When the brown-haired girl turned around, and no matter how cliché this sounds, Troy could swear it was almost as if he were in a movie and the girl turned around in slow motion and his heart pumped faster, the more he could see of her face. She was absolutely gorgeous. This was the girl who hated him? Damn, maybe he should meet more of his haters. He reached his hand out toward her. "Troy."

Gabriella took his hand gently, feeling his rough calloused hands against her own soft, smooth hands. She smiled at him slightly, feeling a small blush creeping to her cheeks. _Damn, he's hot. _They held their hands there for a second, and he hesitantly pulled away, as if he had held it there too long. Troy turned to Taylor and should her hand gently and gave his friend a slight hug. They stood there for a few minutes, chatting a little, and Chad even cracked a few jokes. Troy and Gabriella tried avoiding looking at each other too much, hoping that their attraction for each other didn't seem too obvious, of course, Gabriella more than Troy. She didn't want to be hypocritical. Troy glanced at his watch and looked at the time. 5:00. _Damn. _

"Um, well actually, I kind of need to go get my microphone on and do a quick tech rehearsal." Troy announced, heading towards his door. _But I don't want to leave her. _He turned around slowly. "You guys can come if you want."

Chad and Taylor looked at each other and shook their head. Chad looked back at Troy. "Actually, me and Tay are going to hang here until the show."

Gabriella glanced back at them, as if saying 'What am I supposed do?' Taylor looked back at Troy and then glanced at Gabriella. "But Gabriella would like to come with you."

_Score!_

He grinned at her and motioned her to follow him, "Come on. I promise it won't be boring."

Gabriella didn't doubt that.

"I'll even sing to you if you want."

And then she remembered she hated him. _Puh-lease. _It was like he was even that good of a singer. Gabriella followed Troy through a series of turns leading towards that large stadium stage. They climbed up some steep staircases that had a large amount of wires going down them, and Troy offered a hand to Gabriella, telling her to watch her step as she made her way up. She took his hand and realized how warm his hand was and how she liked the feeling of him holding on to her, like he cared if she fell or not. She glanced at him as they made their way up and watched how he would look at her feet, making sure she wasn't going to fall and then felt him squeeze her hand slightly when a large bundle of wires were settled on one of the steps. They finally got up the stairs and walked on the large stage.

"Hold on." Troy said, stopping them before walking down to the middle. He turned around and looked at her. "Do you want to know why I started performing?"

If she had just only heard his voice ask her that, she was completely sure that she would've answered that she couldn't care less why he performed, but the glisten in his eyes told a different story. She nodded, "Sure."

Troy walked around and placed his hands over her eyes gently, making sure that he didn't ruin any of her make-up (just in case she was one of those girls). He led her towards the middle of the stage slowly, and positioned her so that she could get the best possible view and then slowly put removed his eyes and whispered, "Look."

Gabriella looked at the stadium in awe. She couldn't believe the sight. She overlooked the whole stadium and saw the thousands of seats that were in front of her and covered the whole room. She imagined the thousands of screaming fans who would eventually cover them. She could imagine the thrill of performing on the stage and how pumped she would feel if she were the one singing for her own fans. She could feel Troy step next to her, his arm grazing hers slightly. "Isn't it amazing?"

She nodded and looked at his face, still staring at the sight in front of him, as if he was just only taking it in. She didn't expect to see this type of Troy Bolton and she couldn't help but feel all flushed and giddy when she saw him look at her after. They stood there like that, staring at each other wordlessly, and neither of them made a sound, unable to look away from each other. Gabriella couldn't help but notice all the subtle features Troy had; the way his hair was long, but not so much that he looked like one of those skater guys; the way his eyes were a cross of gray and blue and how easy it was to get lost in them; the way he had a little stubble under his nose. And it wasn't hard for Gabriella to convert into the Number One Troy Bolton fan, but she wasn't a fan because she thought he was the most amazing person who walked on the planet. She was a fan because she could see the passion he had for his work. And she became hater to fan in just a matter of thirty minutes.

"Troy!"

Troy looked behind him, breaking the gaze that they held. Gabriella also looked back and saw a brown, curly-haired man walk swiftly towards them. "It's time for tech!"

Troy nodded and subconsciously reached for Gabriella's hand. Gabriella startled at first, let him grab it and led her towards the crew who waited for him so they could place this little thingy on his face (Gabriella understood it to be a device that was used so Troy could hear himself over the crowd). She watched as he placed a large walkie-talkie looking device on the belt of his jeans and how he maneuvered a wire beneath his shirt and grabbed it from the collar. He smiled at her awkwardly and she giggled slightly, feeling another blush creep up to her cheeks when she saw his crooked grin. They made him turn around and checked the black device he had put on only seconds before and made sure it was on. When they gave him thumbs up, Troy walked towards the middle of the stage where a small stool awaited him and a microphone stand.

"So," Troy began, taking the microphone from the stand and turning towards Gabriella. "Want to hear the most incredible voice to ever grace this Earth?"

Gabriella giggled, surprised that she wasn't even annoyed that he would say such as thing, only joking back, "Puh-lease. I bet I could sing better than you."

Troy raised his eyebrows, "Oh really now?"

Gabriella smiled at him. "Of course. I even won my high school talent show _and _was voted most likely to be famous in fifth grade."

Troy chuckled out loud at the mention of her fifth grade accomplishment and motioned for another microphone from one of the crew people. "Well, Montez, I believe it's on."

The crew man motioned to give Gabriella the microphone and Gabriella only stared at it. Troy smiled at the sight and nudged her with his elbow gently, "I think you're supposed to grab it."

Gabriella looked at him with pout. "I was only kidding! I'm not going to sing."

"Well, then, I guess you aren't better than me."

Gabriella had always been a competitive person. Even when she was in pre-school and her teacher had asked them to draw a cat and whoever drew the best one would get another pack of animal crackers. And Gabriella had not only won, but had also gotten the pride of her picture being hung on the 'Superstar!' wall. So when there was a challenge she always accepted, and this was no different. She took the microphone forcefully and even went as far as to ask for a guitar from the same crew member. Troy raised his eyebrows at her and she only looked at him with a smug face, and then Troy had chuckled, completely captivated by the brown haired beauty in front of him.

She placed the guitar strap around her neck and strummed and began singing, "_I don't know you, but I want you…"_

And Troy stood there in awe. _Damn, she's actually good. _She still sang, "_...Words fall through me and always fool me."_

"_And games that never amount to more than they're meant will play themselves out…"_

And the two stood there singing the song, completely unaware that a small group of the crew were surrounding them, listening to their voices in perfect harmony. Gabriella smiled at him when they got into the chorus, hearing his voice join hers and he smiled back, hearing how their voices went perfectly together. He realized how he had never sung with anyone like he sang with Gabriella. He had never sung this well without feeling completely forced or controlled, and never this kind of song. He was known for the regular pop/rock (mostly pop) songs his manager said he should sing, saying that it would have more appeal to more audiences, but this just felt natural, calming, even. And then, before he knew it, Gabriella began strumming the last chords of the song.

When they ended, Troy and Gabriella heard a sudden burst of clapping around them and Gabriella blushed and Troy rubbed his neck nervously, thanking them slowly. The crowd dissolved away leaving only the two standing in the middle in the middle of the stage. Troy stared at Gabriella as a crew member retrieved the guitar and microphone from her.

"Whoa," he said with a smile. "Damn, I think I have some competition."

Gabriella giggled, "Actually, Mr. Bolton, I think I already have you beat."

"We'll see about that."

Gabriella giggled again and smiled at him. "I honestly thought I would have the worst time ever."

"Oh really? Then why do you think you had so much fun?" Troy asked, honestly wondering what her reason was.

"Not to inflate your ego, not that its possible, but you're a pretty fun guy, Troy." Gabriella stated, smiling at him sweetly. Troy couldn't help but feel butterflies in his stomach when she said that.

"Yeah?" he said. "We should do this again sometime."

Gabriella nodded slowly. "Totally."

Then there was a short comfortable silence, where all they did was look at each other. Replaying what just happened in each of their heads.

"TROY!"

And then their moment was over and Troy looked at his watch. _Six. _

Show time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: To Love You  
Author: xx shadowdreamer.  
A/n:**

HAY HAY! omg. okay so u guys do not know how much your reviews made me smilee. :) haaha. i loveee getting them. if it werent for them i honestly would not be updating right now. haha. Well, i hope this chapter doesnt look or sound too rushed or if its all over the place. again, thanks so much for the reviews. id appreciate if u reviewed this chapter. haha. maybe itll make me post the last chapter faster... who knows. -wink, wink-

* * *

Troy Bolton had always hated interviews.

Ever since he began his career and he was becoming bigger and bigger, he had always hated interviews. He hated how they put you on the spot all the time and how they just always had to ask questions about anything that's anything and pry until they get you to explain every little detail. Although interviews weren't always bad, just the thought of them in general, made Troy cringe. He wasn't nervous or anything, no, far from that. He was just… scared would be the more appropriate word. His manager was always saying how interviews could make or break a career. Everything you say either leads you halfway closer to stardom or two times backwards. So of course, when Troy stood backstage of the Ellen DeGeneres he was reviewing common answers to common questions that he knew were most likely going to be asked.

"We're rolling in five minutes." The backstage manager told him, yelling through Troy's dressing room door.

Troy took a deep breath and shook his head, hoping to clear some last minute jitters and then preceded out the door and into the little waiting place before the called him in.

"_And now, I'd like to welcome the one and only, Troy Bolton!"_

And he walked out, a smile plastered on his face. He heard the loud cheering from the crowd and smiled at them, waving his hand up and… smiling. There wasn't really much to do when you walk down towards the host… except wave and smile, which is exactly what Troy was doing. He had always thought this was the most awkward part of an interview because people are staring at you walking and clapping at you for it. Anyone can walk. Troy had finally reached Ellen and gave her a hug, before sitting down and slapping his hands on his lap, smiling at the crowd who he realized was on their feet. He smiled bashfully.

OH!

He had almost forgotten he promised to give Gabriella a wink. It had come up in a text message conversation she and he had the other day after an outing together. No, no, nothing was going on between them; they were just having a blast hanging out with each other. Of course because the whole singing together on the stage thing that happened the other week was so much fun, Troy and her decided that they should hang out sometime, just the two of them, and this time without time restrictions. But that day, it had started raining while they were out to lunch at Aroma Café and the two decided it would be so much easier if they rescheduled. Paparazzi had been following them anyway, so Troy wanted to restart so he could dodge them the next time they went out. Once Troy dropped Gabriella off at her house, they texted each other nonstop the whole day and he mentioned how he was going to be on Ellen the next day. He hadn't realized Gabriella was such a fan of her show and he promised he'd steal some 'souvenirs' and give her wink on the show.

He winked at the camera, hoping no one caught it.

But of course, someone had. It was even worse when he realized, it was Ellen herself who caught the wink.

"Whoa, whoa…" she said. Troy looked at her with a confused face. "Can we replay Troy's entrance again?"

A TV popped up in between Troy's and Ellen's chair and Troy watched in intently, wondering what he had done wrong. He saw Ellen introduce him again and then he walked across the floor, waving at smiling at the audience. _Nothing bad so far. _He still stared at the screen and it came to the part where he hugged Ellen and then he looked back at the audience and smiled slightly before sitting back down. Then it zoomed up on his face and you could see the wink.

"Pause!" she called out, and it paused on a zoom up of Troy's face and with one eye closed. "What's that?"

Troy didn't know what to say. "It was um… a blink?"

The audience laughed along with Ellen and she commented, "Right… a blink with one eye."

She looked at Troy expectantly and he blushed, "Okay, well it was um, a wink for a friend."

The audience erupted into 'ooh's and 'aww's. Troy blushed even more, imagining Gabriella's when she watched this episode (he realized this episode was going to be aired in a few days). He knew how she'd probably laugh at him and how he probably looked like a little tomato.

"Ahh…" Ellen said, smiling. "Could it be for this one girl?"

And then Troy could feel blood rushing to his cheeks even more. He knew where this was going. They were going to ask if they were dating, and then pry him for answers, and then probably get him spill out who she was, how he knew her, and blah blah blah. He just knew this was going to happen. He felt it right before he went into the set. Ellen placed a picture of him and Gabriella walking in the rain towards his car, the two of them giggling as they crossed the street hurriedly. She had his black leather jacket over her head and he wore only a red raglan t-shirt with a pair of jeans and his vans. He remembered how the two of them were laughing when the rain came and in a hurry they rushed to his car, wanting shelter. His shirt was almost see through, the water soaking through, Gabriella's cardigan and scarf was not enough to keep her dry so he offered her his jacket; his mom had taught him how to be a gentleman.

Ellen looked at Troy with a knowing look. _She probably always gives that look to get information. _Troy rubbed his neck nervously and then looked back at the picture. He didn't want to yes, but he couldn't lie on television, so he opted for something in the middle. "Maybe."

The crowd laughed, and Troy realized how obvious and misleading he sounded. He looked at Ellen who was smiling at the audience. "That's as good as a yes."

Troy blushed again. She turned to him. "The have been rumors that you and this girl are dating."

"No." Troy announced. "We're just good friends."

"How many times have I heard that before?" Ellen asked, particularly to no one, but the audience laughed anyway. "So, were you guys on a date in this picture?"

"Actually, we just went to go out for lunch."

"Okay, so they were on a date." She deadpanned.

The crowd burst into another 'ooh!' and "ah!". Troy waved his hands frantically and shook his head. "No, no, no! It was honestly just two friends hanging out."

She looked at him disbelievingly, "Yeah, yeah, right…. So…"

And the topic finally changed and Troy felt relieved. Happy he didn't have to explain anymore about the situation. He was happy that they didn't ask anything remotely close about him liking her (in that way) because in reality, he wasn't sure that if he said that he only liked her as a friend he'd be telling the truth entirely.

------

The two sat on his black leather couch inside the living room, him eating a slice of pizza and her eating from a an ice cream cup they had gotten from a Coldstone Creamery. They had finally gotten to re-do their lunch and it was almost seven at night. Troy invited Gabriella to come hang out at his house for a bit and then he'd drive her back to her apartment and they had gotten to his place at around four and three hours later (after a quick trip to Coldstones, of course), the two were laughing to the point of tears on Troy's leather couch and just enjoying each others presence. Troy couldn't believe how he could talk to a girl so much, their conversation ranging from how Gabriella and he were both only children to their shower routines to embarrassing moments in High School.

"So, Chad gave her my phone number instead of his because he said she was stalking him." Troy continued as Gabriella laughed, taking another bite from her ice cream. "And then I get this one weird phone call from her and I pretended to be Chad. And she told me about her dreams and how she saw Chad and her rolling on the sand in the beach!"

And Gabriella broke into fits of laughter, just imagining Troy's face when he heard that. Troy chuckled along with her, not so much because of the story but because of how Gabriella had the most infectious giggle and how she would clutch her stomach when she laughed and how her shoulders shook and the way her face scrunched up and how her mouth curved upwards; everything about her just made him smile. He didn't really notice the transition from him liking her as a friend to him wanting to be more and he couldn't help but not care. What's done is done and he couldn't undo it. Gabriella and Troy continued laughing for a few more minutes, Gabriella making sure she heard the story right several times, and laughed all over again when he repeated it. And then her laughter died down and she smiled at him.

"What?" Troy asked consciously, thinking that maybe he had something on his face. But Gabriella shook her head.

"Oh its nothing," Gabriella stated. "It's just, I had so much fun today and I really don't want to leave."

"Well you don't have to!" Troy announced quickly, getting up from the couch. "You can totally just crash here. I can totally just send Geoffrey or something to go get your stuff from your apartment or we could just buy you clothes from the mall right now, or I could ask Chad and Taylor to come over and Taylor can bring you clothes if you want…"

Gabriella giggled. "Nah, I wouldn't want to impose or anything. You're probably busy tomorrow anyway."

Troy shook his head. "Oh please, my day is completely free tomorrow."

"Ha, it's a hard offer to refuse, Troy, but I've got class tomorrow, and I have to catch the early bus—"

"BUS?" Troy exclaimed. "No friend of mine will take the bus. I'll drive you."

Gabriella raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

Troy nodded. "Of course. What time do you need me to pick you up?"

"I can just take the bus, it's fine really…"

"Time?"

She smiled at him. "Nine."

"I'll be there."

Troy took her hand and helped her off the couch. He followed her towards the front door and grabbed her coat off the rack. He held it open for her to slide in her arms and he grabbed her purse that hung from the rack also. She took it from him and slipped on her ballet flats slowly, not really wanting to even exit out of his house. She stood up and looked up him, "You know what?"

"Hmm?" he asked as he placed on a jacket himself and then slipped on his checkered Vans.

"During the time I spent with you, I completely forgot you were Troy Bolton, ultimate superstar of the world."

Troy stared at her oddly, as if he didn't know what she was talking about, but then he remembered. He was a celebrity. Never in his life had he ever forgotten that he was a best-selling artist until he met her. And honestly, he had forgotten that he was Troy Bolton ultimate superstar too, and God, how it felt good to be just Troy Bolton for a change.

"Hmm, me too." He answered honestly, smiling at her with a toothy grin. She blushed. God, how much she loved seeing him smile like that at her.

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded.

He opened the door.

Bright lights surrounded them and people yelled out his name.

And then Troy remembered exactly how much of a celebrity he was.

-----

"Nice shirt."

Troy looked down at his red t-shirt, a picture of Elmo in the front. He smiled sheepishly and chuckled softly at her. They were in the car and he was currently driving Gabriella to UCLA where she was majoring in Literature. He remembered how he had woken up at eight that morning and how he basically just grabbed the first pair of jeans and shirt that was in his closet. Of course he just had to pick up the shirt he had worn as a sleeping shirt two nights ago and it just so happened to be a joke birthday present from Chad after Troy had guest starred on Sesame Street with Elmo. Gabriella still giggled at him from the passenger seat.

"Hey, hey, Elmo is the coolest person in town. Don't _ever _mess with Elmo." Troy defended jokingly, only causing Gabriella to giggle even more.

"Right, because Elmo could totally hunt me down." She responded.

"He totally could. He could send cookie monster and that one vampire dude to like haunt you and eat your cookies." Troy warned with a smile.

"Hmm… I'm just glad you know your Sesame Street characters." Gabriella remarked, smiling at the thought.

"They're like my best-friends." Troy told her as he made a turn into a small drop off area. Gabriella giggled once more and he realized how much he loved making her laugh and realized how much he didn't want her to go.

"Thanks again for the ride, Troy. I really do appreciate the ride." Gabriella told him sincerely, opening the door of his Audi and stepping out. She noticed the gazes of the people outside, wondering who had dropped off Gabriella. Troy had been wearing his Ray Ban sunglasses and a black and white beanie so that nobody could really tell it was him unless they looked closely. Gabriella turned back to look at him, saying her goodbye.

"Are you sure you can't ditch?" Troy asked for what seemed like the twentieth time that day.

Gabriella shook her head, "I'm afraid not, superstar."

He felt like he could fly at the nickname.

"Fine, but I'm picking you up after you class."

She smiled. "Of course."

And he waved goodbye and she closed the door, smiling at him before he drove off slowly. She turned around once she no longer saw his car and she smiled to herself. She hadn't realized how much she enjoyed spending time with him and to think, she had once hated him. He was probably the nicest guy she had ever met, not to mention he was absolutely stunning. But he was the superstar of the world, and he didn't have time for someone like her. She walked towards the entrance of the large building, holding her bag close to her side.

"Gabriella!"

She turned around and saw a familiar friend racing towards her. "Hey Sharpay, what's up?"

"I think I should be the one asking you that." She squealed. "What's up with you and Troy Bolton?"

"Nothing, we're just hanging out."

Sharpay stopped in her tracks. "Hanging out? As in, you two are…_friends?"_

Gabriella turned around and stared at Sharpay, nodding her head.

"Oh my God, I HAVE A FAMOUS FRIEND!"

Gabriella shushed her, placing her hands over her mouth. "Jesus, Shar! It's not a big deal."

Sharpay gawked at her saying quite loud, "You are hanging out with the hottest man alive AND who has the most gorgeous voice in the world, and you say it's not a big deal?"

Gabriella shrugged again, but this time not wanting to hear Sharpay's rants so she walked way hastily, hoping to get inside the building before the blonde haired girl could recover. She couldn't exactly pinpoint why it was so special she was hanging out with Troy Bolton. He was just a person. He wasn't some God who performed miracles each day, but someone who was only different from a regular person because of his job. She walked towards her classroom, glad that Sharpay hadn't come to bother her anymore about the subject, but she knew she was probably just gossiping to other girls. But Gabriella didn't mind, just as long as they didn't bother her at all.

Gabriella sat down in a seat, her bag she placed under the table and she took out her large notebook and a pen. She bent down to retrieve her glasses (she only used them if she was far from the front), but was then startled at the soft vibrating coming from her jean pocket. She retrieved the phone and couldn't help but smile at the text message.

_Hay, have fun at ur class while im stuck here bored. Ugh why couldn't u just ditch. –T._

She giggled, pressing her fingers onto her phone keyboard, texting back before her class officially started.

_**Sry, but edu. Comes frst! –G**_

She placed her phone on the table, but it started buzzing only seconds later.

_Ya ya. Im watching the episode of me on Ellen. Looks like ull be a celebrity once everyone sees this episode. –T._

She smiled.

_**Im a little scared now. Haha. Srry, g2g. class is starting. C ya after. –G **_

She placed her phone back in her bag, turning it off before the teacher began speaking.

She couldn't wait until this class was done.

-----

"Gabriella! How'd you meet Troy Bolton?"

"Are you guys dating?"

"Have you ever been a model?"

Gabriella was blinded by flashes all around her as she exited the building once her class was done. She tried to maneuver her way out of the crowd, ignoring all the questions they asked her although some of there were quite hilarious. She felt her phone vibrate in her hand and looked at the caller I.D. _Troy. _And then she spotted his car coming closer toward her and waited impatiently, hoping to get out of this mess alive.

"LOOK IT'S TROY'S CAR!"

And then, a swarm of photographers almost pushed Gabriella into the car, but Troy had leaned over to open the door and motioned for her to get in quickly. She got up, almost falling over in the car and once they were away from al the paparazzi, troy chuckled at Gabriella's ragged breathing.

"God, how do you deal with that everyday?" Gabriella asked in disbelief.

Troy shrugged. "Welcome to my life."


End file.
